5 Things You Need to Know About Pasta ...

February 19, 2008

The reality is that when it comes to Pasta ... there are probably 500 "things" you need to know! Pasta is one of the world’s most popular foods and comes in hundreds of different shapes, varieties and with dozens of different ingredients. Pasta today comes fresh, dried, canned and frozen. Today, we focus on the most available type: dried pasta ... and two new packaging innovations that could make cooking pasta a breeze!

Pasta to both chefs and at-home cooks is like a blank canvass to a painter, it's an invitation to add color and imagination. Generally made with wheat flour, egg whites or whole eggs and water, the pasta dough is then dried ... then added to boiling water prior to serving.

One of the delights of pasta is how many different shapes it can be made into, and Italians particularly have developed a wonderful variety to go with an equally daunting variety of sauces. Dried pastas are available from both domestic and imported sources, and quality ranges from the blandly ordinary to the complexity of the right density and bite (dente) in the mouth.

Pasta is a relatively inexpensive food; even the most expensive imported or hand-made brands are modest in price and since most call for one-quarter pound or less as a portion, a little goes a very long way.

The 1st Thing You Need To Know: What is the pasta made of?
Pasta can be made with whole or refined grains. Whole wheat contains the bran and germ of the grain, and refined is flour without the bran and germ. Most packaged dried American brands are made with durum wheat, hard wheat that is high in protein, which is good, and gluten, to which many people are intolerant. The gluten is integral to pasta retaining its shape. Most high quality pasta has semolina, made from durum wheat, and farina, made from softer wheat. "Macaroni" noodles are usually made with little or no bran or germ. My preference is to buy pasta that is 100 percent durum wheat for the best texture and flavor.

Whole grain pastas have more fiber and will fill you up faster, so for a portion, you can use approximately a third to half as much as you would normally.

The 2nd Thing You Need To Know: Read the ingredient labels carefully.
When selecting pasta look carefully at the product itself and the ingredients. Pastas should appear even in color, shape and size - that reflects both the skill of the manufacturer and proper handling that avoided breakage. If cholesterol is a concern, skip the pastas made with egg or egg powders and choose those made either from Italian semolina or American wheat or vegetable powders.

These days pasta comes in a variety of colors and "flavors". Spinach pasta is one of the most common, and looks very pretty with broiled salmon or with a mélange of colorful vegetables. But read the labels carefully – some are made with spinach while others are just colored; these are also frequently made with eggs, so if cholesterol is a concern, you may wish to avoid these. Most authentic colored pastas usually come in red (made with tomatoes or beets), orange (made with carrots) and green (spinach) or green vegetables.

The 3rd Thing You Need To Know: How should I cook my pasta?
One of the secrets to great pasta is to use enough water! Approximately a gallon per pound is the best rule of thumb. Be sure to use a large pot so the pasta has enough room to move and cook thoroughly.

To salt the water or not is a continuous debate so let your palate decide, I use teaspoon of salt per gallon.

Bring the water to a rolling boil – and keep it boiling after you add the pasta. Most cooks just place the pasta in the pot and forget to watch it to make sure that the water stays at the same heat.

Be sure to stir the pasta – otherwise it will stick. Some prefer to add a few drops of olive oil to the water – but I find that interferes with the flavor and actually inhibits the sauce from being absorbed into the pasta itself.

The best way to tell when your pasta is cooked perfectly is to taste it! Read the directions for proper cooking but use it only a guide. It's done when it has a slight bite (al dente) and not at all chalky. Remember that the thicker the pasta, like a lasagna noodle or heavy cannelloni, the longer cooking time.

Pour the pasta in a colander, shake and let the water drain off. Don't rinse the pasta.

My recommendation is to put about 20% of the sauce you are going to use in the bowl or plate first, then add the rest of the sauce to the pasta in the colander and stir gently. Then pour the pasta on top of the sauce already in the bowl.

The 4th Thing You Need To Know: Choose a sauce that won't overpower your pasta.
Read the labels on your sauce! Look for crushed tomatoes or just tomatoes as the first ingredient for the best flavor. Tomato paste has already been cooked once, so if that's the first ingredient in your sauce, you may be disappointed in the flavor and texture. Many of the pasta sauces on the Market also contain high amounts of sugar, high fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners – usually to mask the flavor of their tomatoes. My own recommendation is to buy canned crushed tomatoes, add a little olive oil and your own spices for the best flavor – and you'll be saving a lot of money over buying prepared tomato based sauces.

When it comes to the non-tomato sauces, my favorite is pesto. Making your own pesto can take a lot of patience, so in this case, I prefer to buy pesto sauce. But again read the ingredients to know exactly what kind of oil is being used, as well as any other ingredients that may interfere with the natural basil flavor.

The 5th Thing You Need To Know: How to store your pasta.
Store unopened packages in their own bags or boxes in a cool dark cupboard. Once a package is opened, it's best to store unused pasta in a jar or metal container with a tight-fitting lid, or at least cover the opened package with a zip lock plastic bag to avoid any insect infestation.

If you love leftovers and want to save that already cooked pasta, leave off the sauce. Keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container; otherwise the pasta may absorb odors from other foods in your refrigerator, but only up to two days. Best bet to reheat is to boil more hot water, and pour over the pasta quickly in a colander and then add hot sauce.

A Short Primer of Pasta: Spaghetti (coming from the Italian, spago which means cord) is the most popular variety ... and is long thin noodles that come in a variety of thickness: ? Traditional, goes well with almost all sauces ? Capellini or angel hair pasta is the thinnest past of all and takes barely one to two minutes to cook; goes well with very light sauces or the classic basil, olive oil and crush fresh tomatoes ? Linguine (little tongues) are flat noodles commonly served with clam sauce, but can go well with heavier meatier sauces ? Thin spaghetti is slightly thinner than traditional spaghetti but not as thin as capellini. ? Vermicelli (little worms) is similar to thin spaghetti, and sometimes come in nests of dried pasta or can be straight. ? Fettuccine (small ribbons) are similar to Rotini but usually longer.

Cannelloni are very large hollows, usually three or four inches long and excellent for stuffing with cheese or meat then served with a sauce.

Farfalle (butterfly) is sometimes called bowties that they also look like. Thick, substantial pasta that goes well with grains, in cold salads with vegetables, and with thick cooked sauces.

Penne (quills) are short tubes, usually with slanted ends, that are excellent for heavy sauces.

Radiatore are almost square but have all kinds of little holes surrounding them to give diners a good bite of sauce-soaked pasta. Excellent for smooth sauces.

Rigatoni (furrows) is a smaller hollow with ridged lines on it and good for stuffing with meat or cheese or served with heavy sauces.

Rotini are ribbons of pasta, and fusuli are little spirals of pasta, each about two inches long, and good in both cold salads and with hot sauces that can coat the ridges.

Shells (conchigilie) come in small, medium and large and are perfect to "catch" thick hearty sauces.

Tubes are hollow noodles that are excellent for "capturing" thick sauces and adding a complexity to the dish.

Vegetable pasta has the addition of vegetable powders for added nutrition, taste, and complexity of texture.

... and "Shaped" pastas are usually called by the names that describe their shapes.

Posted on Monday 2/25 by Elise
Lee you are right; a great primer on pasta. Pasta is the best product around and with the whole wheat pastas available, makes hiding healthy eating easier. Still want time to make a batch of fresh noodles!!

Posted on Monday 2/25 by Lee
I learned a lot about cooking pasta and appropriate sauces - but please tell your diabetic readers about "Dreamfields" pasta - for the first time in 20 years I've been able to eat pasta!

Posted on Monday 2/25 by Lee
I learned a lot about cooking pasta and appropriate sauces - but please tell your diabetic readers about "Dreamfields" pasta - for the first time in 20 years I've been able to eat pasta!

This discussion has been closed!